Fate-Aces
by Panzer4life
Summary: In an unexpected event, Maiya Hisau, student of the Magus Killer, becomes the 8th master of an unknown Servant summoned as an Avenger. As the 4th HGW commences, Maiya will learn that there are things more important than her mentor's wish. Rate M for violence, language, and possible sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'Type-Moon' franchise or the 'Ace Combat' franchise. They are owned by their respective owners, and this work of fiction is purely for entertainment and not monetary purposes.**

* * *

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Complication

* * *

 _Hatred, hatred was all he knew now. At one time he could confidently say he was at the height of his life; he had everything he could want. A position of power that made him one of the most powerful men in his country, a country he would die before seeing it fall. A beautiful pale-skinned wife with the ability to calm him from the stresses he would endure, and an equally beautiful angle of a daughter that he loved with all his heart. The honor of knowing everything he did was bettering his country, and the knowledge that his nation's enemy would soon learn to respect his country once more._

 _Yet, that was all in the past. Forced into the shadows, scorned by those who couldn't see that his actions served his country, his wife burned, and daughter stolen and manipulated by_ _ **those insufferable peace-preaching enemies of his**_ _. His honor was robbed, his named spoken of like that of a demon. He lost everything to_ _ **them**_ _._

 _Yet he plotted his enemies' demise. He gathered like minded men and women, orchestrated events to weaken his foes, and when it was time, he struck. His enemies waged war between themselves, while his countrymen armed themselves, readying for deliverance from their bitter defeat. Yet it was all for naught! His plans were uncovered in due time, and despite his efforts to set his plans back on course, they were destroyed by_ _ **them**_ _._ _ **The Ghosts**_ _that should've stayed dead, all but one. His daughter flew amongst them, and despite her fighting against his ideals, he couldn't fault his angle for being manipulated by_ _ **those cowards**_ _._

 _But even with his plans burning all around him, he would've been fine, knowing his daughter was alive and well, with a bright future ahead of her. But it was not to be, as_ _ **those fickle, simple minded, so called 'defenders of peace' condemned her to death because of her heritage that was hidden from her!**_ _He vowed to rescue her, but like everything else, it was all for nothing, as he watched helplessly behind bullet proof glass as his daughter, his sole reason for living, was killed in front of him._

 _Even as he felt a bullet rip through his neck and blood choking off his airway, he couldn't feel anything else other than sorrow and hate. Sorrow for failing his daughter and hate towards those that destroyed everything he held dear; his honor, his country, his wife, and most importantly his daughter._

 _Yet for reasons that baffled him, he was here in this blacken void. Drifting through it, he wondered if this was a personnel hell he was to endure for his actions. If so, it was damned effective, loathe he was to admit it. He had feared to die in life, but he thought that if he somehow retained consciousness, he would be reunited with his wife and eventually his daughter. But instead all he got was a bitter, silent, lonely darkness. The only thing he could do was contemplate and stew on his hatred._

* * *

Closing a case, a woman of Asian descent with black hair wearing all black sighed as she waited to hear from the only person who ever gave her life meaning. He had saved her from the hell that was her childhood, trained her to become a skilled assassin, and eventually became his lover, despite him already by that point being married. She couldn't understand him, not entirely, but she didn't need to; she would do whatever he said, because without him, she was nothing.

The young woman paused briefly, remembering her life in some warzone, being a child soldier who was tortured and raped by her 'comrades', even ending up pregnant. Her child, the one thing that is almost universally agreed should be a mother's pride and joy, was ripped from her hands before she even got to name him, and to this day she didn't even know what her child's fate was. It was shortly after her child was taken from her that 'he' arrived.

Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, an assassin known for his ability to kill Magi without leaving much behind for one to follow. He arrived to kill her 'commander', killing him without much effort, but on his way back out, he came across her. For reasons she didn't know, he had saved her from that hell that was her life.

Over the years he trained her like his mentor had him. Marksmanship, CQC, demolitions, infiltration, espionage, and so many other skills that aided him in his missions, she was taught and quickly began to master. While not on the same level as him, she was confident that unless they were on the same level as her mentor, she would be able to deal with whoever they were.

Glancing at a clock the young assassin Maiya Haisu, a name given to her by Kiritsugu, wondered how long it would be until her mentor's mission began in earnest. Her mentor's mission was nothing less then winning the Holy Grail War for the Einzbern family.

A war between seven magi and their seven Heroic Spirit servants; spirits that had throughout their life garnered fame and a status above others of their age that their name still echoes throughout humanity and reside within the Throne of Heroes. There were seven distinct classes of servants.

Saber, swordsman without equal and the most noted most powerful of the three knight classes. Lancer, spearman whose skills were often only matched with their poor luck. Archer, servants with the ability to commit to actions without expanding their master's mana reserves and masters of long range combat. Rider, servants of mounts that are legendary enough to make up for their weaker stats. Assassin, shadowy servants that are too weak to stand on equal footing with other servants but can slip past them and slay masters. Caster, often argued the weakest of servants due to most classes having a form of magic resistance, are none the less powerful Magus of skill that rival anything modern Magi can wield. And finally, Berserker, the servant of madness, ones who lost their sanity and in return gained heightened stats, the most mana-hungry of all servants and the hardest to control.

Maiya knew that fighting in the war against the servants was tantamount to suicide, but that was not her mentor's plan. Instead, he intended to use his wife as an ersatz master, and in the shadows eliminate the other masters with the skills he had mastered over his long hard life. It would be difficult, but not impossible, as she knew her mentor has hired out spies to discover the identity of the other masters.

Sitting down, she waited inside the bland hotel room she had been using as a safehouse. She knew Kiritsugu would soon summon his servant, as would the other masters, but it couldn't come soon enough. She may have been cold and calculating, but even her patience had a limit. She had spent all she could scouting out the city of Fuyuki, where the war would take place, but even so, it was so mind numbing at this point she just wanted to have the war begin.

* * *

Little did she know, or for that matter anyone else, that the Holy Grail, the omnipotent wish-granting device, was tainted by an ancient Zoroastrian 'god' of evil, Angra Mainyu. A being that as a servant was only made to slaughter humans, it nonetheless corrupted the Grail into a wish-granting device that came at a terrible cost.

Due to this taint, not only were anti-heroes allowed to be summoned, but in this particular war, due to the interference of the Einzberns in the last war, was able to allow for an eighth servant to be summoned. A servant who would best resonant with one that was filled with a desire to avenge themselves, even if they didn't realize it themselves. However, due to the grail not having any extra time to gather mana, it was able to force a summoning of a weaker, if still capable, Avenger unto an unwitting master.

It was this complication that the Grail looked beyond this world's Throne of Heroes in search of a suitable Avenger. It took some time, as most Avengers had heightened stats due to their inherent wrath giving them the ability to surpass the natural ability. Some had Noble Phantasms that simply were too exhaustive and would easily drain the servant quickly. And others still were demi-gods or something similar, too high a being to summon into the war what with the other seven servants that were bound to be summon already taxing the system.

However, as it gazed throughout the various Thrones of Heroes, it found what it was looking for. A human that was of the equivalent modern era, whose stats as a result weren't the highest. Yes, some of his skills were high, but that was easily supplied by the grail. The more the spirit of Angra Mainyu looked at the Avenger it had found, the more it wanted it to be summoned. Their wrath was so great, and its wish was so honest, that it would be nearly impossible for its master to order it to commit suicide even with the command seals. Its Noble Phantasms, while exceedingly powerful, were replicable by mundane means.

As a result, Angra found the perfect avenger for the 4th Holy Grail War; an Avenger with a will of iron that was 'weak' enough to be easily summoned into the War without exhausting any more mana, with skills and Noble Phantasms that would allow the Servant to stand up to the others. Yes, while Angra was still hoping that the summoning of Archer would be enough for its purpose to be done, at the least it had a sufficient backup in the form of Avenger.

Pouring mana into the unsuspecting Avenger's master, it began the process of auto-summoning the spirit of vengeance into the material world, one where it could cause destruction in its wrathful wake.

* * *

A burning sensation on the back of her right hand was something Maiya wasn't expecting to wake up to. Sitting up in the bed she was sleeping in, Maiya quickly looked at her hand to see what the cause of the sudden flair up of pain was. Whatever she was expecting, she didn't think it would be something she recognized, a set of command seals. It was in the shape of three arrows that formed a triangle, but while it's shape was simple, its implications weren't.

Why was she, Maiya Haisu, former child soldier and currently the assassin protégé of Kiritsugu Emiya, selected to partake in the Holy Grail War? She didn't have any wish that she knew of, and it in fact complicated her mentor's plans, something she didn't want to have happen. And if she recalled, the appearance of the seals hadn't caused Kiritsugu any pain, so why did she feel pain?

"It's because I was summoned to be your servant, Master." Maiya's eyes widen as she whipped her head towards the window, where a tall man stood. He wore a long grey trench coat over a white shirt that had a black tie, with a black peak cap being held by his gloved hands. She saw he held a walking cane in his right hand, but more importantly was the subtle bulge that most likely concealed a weapon under the trench coat. He looked like he was in his mid-50s, with grey hair and steel like eyes.

But his words troubled her. How was he summoned; wasn't a ritual needed like the one Kiritsugu was going to do soon? If so, then how did she summon him in his sleep, or did someone else summon him? As though reading her mind, the man spoke.

"I wasn't summoned through the traditional means of a summoning Ritual," the servant spoke in perfect Japanese, yet with a German accent. "From what little I gathered from the knowledge imparted to me by the Grail, the Holy Grail had acuminated an excess of mana and used it to allow for an 8th servant-master to be formed. Why, I don't know, but I suspect it might be an inbuilt system to prevent damage to the grail by excess mana."

Maiya frowned; while it was common knowledge that pouring to much mana into any magecraft could cause…unexpected consequences, the Holy Grail shouldn't be so easily affected by excess mana, as it drew upon the local ley lines to fuel up so to speak. To have excess mana to trigger such a system that the servant described, if one did exist, would require someone to have dumped more mana into the ley lines, which as far as she knew wasn't possible. But how else could she explain it; she wasn't that knowledgeable about the Holy Grail's inner workings, as she was just to support Kiritsugu. She would have to ask her mentor later, but for now she had to deal with the servant.

"Is that so?" Maiya rhetorically asked. "Then if you are my servant, then what class of servant are you?" The man smirked.

"I am of the Avenger class, servants who are known for their desire for revenge," Avenger spoke. "As was imparted on me, the last Avenger summoned was the Einzbern's servant in the 3rd Holy Grail War. The reason the Avenger class isn't that well known or even documented is simple; Avenger was an exploit in the Grail's system, but was taken out as the first casualty of the 3rd Grail War. Therefore, the full extent of what Avenger is remains unknown."

"Alas, while I could spend the night away explaining my class, I think it would be more pertinent to look at my stats," Avenger stated.

"Very well, Maiya said, before taking a breath. She gazed upon her servant and thinking that looking at his stats would be similar to reinforcing one's eyes, she did just that. What she saw of Avenger's stats shocked her.

Avenger's stats were, quite frankly, quite low. Of the 5 preliminary stats (excluding Noble Phantasms), his highest were Strength and Endurance, of which they were only a C-rank. Agility and Magical Power were at a D, and his Luck was a D-. However he seemed to make up for it with his skills and Noble Phantasms.

His class skills consisted of something called Avenger which was at an A-rank, Memory Correction at an A+, and finally oddly enough Presence Concealment which was at a B. For personal skills he had Military Tactics (B+), Charisma (C+), Command of a Strategist (B+), and finally Global Subterfuge (A+). This Maiya supposed made him a military general or perhaps a warrior king, though why he would have a skill that made it possible for himself to hide from other servants if he was a well-known leader confused her.

But his Noble Phantasms, it seemed were extremely power. While she didn't know the specifics, such as their name, of each phantasm, she could tell the type and rank of each one. The first was an Anti-Army B+-rank Noble Phantasm, while the other was an EX-rank Anti-Nation Noble Phantasm. While she wasn't an expert on Noble Phantasm, she did know that while Anti-Army class Noble Phantasm were fairly common, Anti-Nation were not. She wondered what it could be, as a Noble Phantasm of that class and power must be something extremely powerful.

However, before she could ponder any longer of the nature of his Noble Phantasm, she saw her servant take a seat in a chair in the room.

"Now master, while I'm not the strongest servant, I am more than capable of keeping myself alive and can fend off most servants. However, I can sense that while you are giving me some mana, I will need more to sustain myself if I wish to use my Noble Phantasms," Avenger said. Maiya frowned.

"I saw the stats of your Noble Phantasms, and while they are powerful, most servants are, in theory, able to use their Noble Phantasms without draining their mana reserves. What makes you Noble Phantasms different?"

"In theory, nothing," Avenger started. "However, they are mundane weapons that are the pinnacle of their type where I'm from. The fear they held over my enemies along with their power means I need more energy to use them than say if… Cu Chulainn used Gae Bolg. His Noble Phantasm is outright deadly, but is limited to killing one person if he does not throw it, thus it isn't too much of a issue for him to use it. My Noble Phantasms conversely take an immense amount of energy to use due to its innate nature, which means-"

"-You need mana to make use of them," Maiya said. She sighed. "Well, we'll figure something out. However, Avenger, you need to understand that I am going to support my mentor in his bid to win the Grail War."

Maiya saw her servant's nostril flare up for a minute, before releasing a breath, mostly to cool his nerves. When he did speak however, she quickly noted the hostility in his voice.

"Pray tell, why are we going to help another _master_ if we both have wishes to achieve?" Avenger asked.

"I don't have a wish, except to help the man who saved me," Maiya said calmly, trying to placate Avenger. "And knowing his wish, well, I can't say anything I could wish for would be so selfless."

Avenger frowned; he could tell his master didn't have much in the way of emotions, yet she seemed to think her mentor had a better wish then any she could come up with. He refrained from scoffing, as it would not due to strain his relationship with his master so soon, yet he couldn't help but think her statement about her mentor's wish was bullshit. All wishes, no matter what they maybe, are inherently selfish; one does not form a wish unless it in someway benefits them.

"Regardless of reasons, we will ensure my mentor achieves victory in the Holy Grail War," Maiya stated. "For now, please astralize to conserve on mana consumption, and until I can contact my mentor, you will not take any actions that shows you are here."

Avenger nodded, it made sense from a pragmatic point of view, but he did like having a form once more; much better than floating in a void. But he did was asked, as pragmatism was better in the long run then foolishly wasting energy. As he astralized, he vowed to change his master's view on the Holy Grail War; the entire war was selfish in nature and therefore she should seek what she desired, not what someone else wanted.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Another new project, another Fate/Zero Crossover, but my first Ace Combat fan-fic?! What the hell, I played the shit out of the Ace Combat 4, 5, and Zero as I was growing up, hell I still play them, yet it taken me until now to write a fan-fic for it?! What the fuck was I doing?**

 **Ahem, that rant aside, welcome to 'Fate/Aces' my attempt to do a Fate/Zero and Ace Combat crossover. So what's the story about, and how did I come up with this idea?**

 **Well to begin, I came up with this story like I usually do while working. I have a lot of time to think as I am stocking the cooler and beer-cave at the gas station I work, and I was trying to figure out a fun Ace Combat Crossover to do. I read a couple that were good, some that were okay, and some that…the less said, the better. Eventually, I thought 'what if someone that would be in Ace Combat was a servant in the 4** **th** **Holy Grail War?'.**

 **This then lead me to the first issue; who and what servant class. Well, I decided to stay well clear of established characters, mainly because I don't want to anger the Ace Combat Fans, and also because I wanted to do someone who has a different view on honor and conflict. As for classes, I didn't want to remove any of the servants from the 4** **th** **Grail War, so I decided on Avenger, mainly because with the idea I had, it would make sense for Angra Mainyu to want this servant to be summoned.**

 **Now, I am going to bring up the Servant's stats and traits, and I'll explain why they are what they are;**

 **Stats** ;

 **Strength** : C-

 **Endurance** : C-

 **Agility** : D

 **Magical** **Power** : D

 **Luck** : D-

 **Noble Phantasm** : B- - EX

 **Class Skills;**

 **Avenger: A**

 **Memory Correction: A+**

 **Presence Concealment: B**

 **Personnel Skills;**

 **Military Tactics: B+**

 **Charisma: C+**

 **Command of a Strategist: B+**

 **Global Subterfuge: A+**

 **First the main stats. As Strangereal is set in a slightly-more modern version of Earth and the Servant is from the period of the time period experienced during the Ace Combat series, he wouldn't have amazing stats, as weapons progressed to the point where they force a decline in heroes (take for instance a man with a machine gun could kill hundreds without too much difficulty, physically speaking, as opposed to a man with a spear, where such a feat would be taxing and only the most able could even attempt to do).**

 **Thus, his highest stats cap at C-, with most being D to D-. He is slightly above most people in terms of ability, yet compare to someone like Arturia, he would be swept aside if he fought in close combat like a ant underneath a man wearing jackboots.**

 **What saves him is his class and personnel skills. What makes Avenger so dangerous is the longer he can remain in play, the more impact he can have. This is due to Avenger (which allows him to gather more mana the more angry he becomes and the more damage he receives), Memory Correction (he never forgets the source of his anger, allowing him to surpass normal limits to inflict damage to succeed), and Presence Concealment (which allows him to go unnoticed by most Servants, vital when he is physically weaker than most, with the exception being Caster and Assassin).**

 **His personnel skills is based on his history in which he was, close to Maiya's guess, a military genius. He however is also a master manipulator, getting others to do his bidding. He isn't going to be above bringing outsiders into the Holy Grail War, as he is the kind of man that would do anything for victory.**

 **Which brings me to his noble Phantasms. They are from the Strangereal universe, and therefore revealing what they are would be a massive spoiler, so that is why I only hinted at what they are. But if you want a comparison, his weaker noble Phantasm is able to one-shot most servants should it hit them directly, while his more powerful one would be considered OVERKILL. Not quite like Enuma Elish, but still more powerful in terms of area of effect than any other Noble Phantasm.**

 **But I've been rambling long enough, so until next time, please read, review, follow, and favorite the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Strategizing for the War

* * *

Avenger looked upon his master's mentor, one Kiritsugu Emiya. At first glance, a person would see him as a distant yet relatively unremarkable man. Yet Avenger knew better than anyone appearances were deceiving.

The dull look in Emiya's eyes were that of a man that had killed his own emotions to accomplish his goals. He was wearing clothes that were designed to blend into the environment while also being useful in a fight; not too constricting as to impair movement, not loose enough to get snagged on anything, and able to easily conceal any number of firearms. And Avenger could make out one of his weapons, a Calico M960 SMG, a weapon that allowed one man to easily confront a squad on equal footing should he be able to get the jump on them.

In addition, Emiya seemed to be like a tightly wound spring, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice. While Avenger wasn't one for hand-to-hand techniques, he recognized that Emiya was simply due to the man's uniform fitness. It wasn't a man who focuses on a single technique or style, but rather was flexible enough to adapt to his opponent's actions.

Indeed, his master's mentor was a formidable assassin, even without having heard of Emiya's exploits by his master. Avenger wished Maiya wasn't so dedicated to Emiya; it would make getting his wish next to impossible, as she would sacrifice him for her mentor's wish, whatever it was. But he know how to fake it; he had spent what felt like half his life playing an ersatz life.

"So, you are Avenger?" Emiya asked seriously, with no emotion leaking from his voice. Avenger nodded.

"Indeed, I am," he stated calmly. "And you are the one who mentored my Master."

Both men looked at one another, sizing each other up. It was a minute before the room's sole other occupant spoke up.

"Could we get to the point that this meeting is about?" Maiya said, her patience a bit frayed what with the hiccup that Avenger's summoning and the standoff between her servant and her master.

"Very well, because the war is soon to begin," Emiya said. "Now Avenger, I assume you have been brought up to speed about the original plan?"

"If you refer to your plan to assassinate the enemy masters while your wife poses as the master of your servant Saber, then yes," Avenger replied. "I think it is…abhorrent that you are risking the life of your wife all for your wish; rather selfish of you." Avenger saw the strain in Emiya's grip as he restrained to react.

"While in a normal circumstance I could see your point, this is all but normal," Emiya quickly countered. "My wife…doesn't have long and will certainly not be able to live through the Holy Grail War. I don't wish for her life to end; it is something outside of my control. But my wife agrees with my wish and more importantly agrees with my plan, so in the future please refrain from talking about my wife's role in the war."

Avenger nodded, although it took considerable effort. He loathes fools that would willingly to sacrifice their wives for their own goals, but it's another thing if the wife knew of the risk and still acts. It would be like reprimanding a soldier for sacrificing their life for the homeland; ultimately missing the point.

"Anyway, we need to discuss your role in the war," Emiya continued. "You are not suited for actively fighting servants, yet you lack means of fighting the enemy beyond controlling others, so what good are you for?"

"Mighty foolish of you," Avenger said, scoffing at Emiya's dismissal. "Yes, I might not have the raw strength to match the likes of your servant, but I am more readily a threat." Standing up, Avenger strolled towards the window.

"When I was alive, I wasn't what you might call a legendary soldier, I was a formidable commander. I know how to make up for my weakness and how to maximize my strengths to overcome all but the steepest of odds. Thusly, I can assist in the elimination of both servants and masters with proper preparation. Afterall, one does not become a heroic spirit if they can't poise a threat."

At this, Avenger mentally rolled his eyes. He hadn't realized he was a heroic spirit, and if you ask him, his actions were hardly heroic. Necessary, in his mind yes, brutal and devastating, most assuredly, but heroic? Heroics were for fools, like he was when he was younger and more naïve.

"So how can you be a threat then?" Emiya asked.

"As I am sure you know from my master, my noble phantasms could be of use," Avenger said. "Mainly my Anti-Army one; it is the culmination of men, resources, and equipment that I had once control over. I may not be able to use it right away, due to needing mana, but the more I get, the stronger it will become, to the point where the enemy servants will be forced to take action lest I deal with them as I do with my enemies. Right now, I could begin using it for scouting purposes, finding out where the others masters and servants are, as well as subtly influencing the local officials to turn a blind eye to our actions."

Emiya frowned; what noble phantasm be both a physical danger and also able to do subtle, espionage-like work? He needed to know more.

"How exactly does your noble phantasm work?"

"I refrain from explaining at this moment, if only because if you are unaware of how it works, we could exploit the presumptions of enemy masters, mostly about refraining from fighting during the day, as my noble phantasm could be made to look like the work of terrorists; which would satisfy the need to keep mage craft a secret."

"Wait, are you suggesting carrying out attacks that could kill civilians, just to eliminate enemy masters?!" Maiya asked, shocked at her servant's suggestion. Emiya was glad Maiya asked, as it would allow him time to sit back and examine Avenger's answers.

"Not necessarily," Avenger said calmly. "It was merely an example, as it would be the quick and dirty way to achieve the same results that I could deliver if I had time to manipulate certain individuals."

"Like who?" Maiya asked, her mind scrambling to explain how an attack by her servant could be explained as anything than, as he said, a terrorist attack.

"If I had time to suggest to certain individuals within this country's intelligence and armed forces community that the enemy masters were terrorist that were almost about to launch an attack, we could have the anti-terrorist units take care of the masters, but that wouldn't work due to the need to keep mage craft a secret. Instead, I could influence events to where I could eliminate the masters without arousing suspicions from anyone except the magi. But that would take time, time I'm led to believe I don't have."

"Could you actually infiltrate your way into such a position?" Emiya asked, seeing how Avenger got some of his skills. Avenger chuckled.

"Emiya, you may be a top tier assassin, capable of taking down people that could use magecraft, something I have no experience with, but when it comes to manipulating people, you will not find a better master than I. Put it to you this way Emiya; I once got my former enemies, those that vowed to find and kill me, to rely on my weapons. Getting into position to cover my tracks will be only a matter of time, not if I can."

Emiya nodded. If Avenger was being honest, which why would he not, then it could be game changing for his plans. He wouldn't need to worry so much about figuring out how to safely eliminate an enemy master without collateral losses. But that was on the assumption that Avenger was honest about the capabilities of his noble phantasm. Which sadly Avenger was being silent on, so he would have to trust the servant of revenge. Something that didn't sit well with Emiya.

"And what about your other Noble Phantasm?" Emiya inquired. At this Avenger sighed.

"For the purposes of the Holy Grail War, I would need one hell of a reason to unleash it, as it would inevitably cause collateral damage," Avenger admitted. "While it may be mundane, and I can think of other comparable weapons that you would know, it is simply too powerful to simply let loose with. It's also one that would require more than a bit of work to explain away its effect. So, I will say it is unlikely I will be using it."

Emiya took a draw from his cigarette, mulling over this tidbit. If Avenger's most powerful Noble Phantasm couldn't be used, then that would limit him to his anti-army Noble Phantasm. This meant that if Emiya needed to eliminate a servant right away, his own servant Saber would be a better fit. He exhaled, a puff of smoke flowing out his mouth.

"Very well, then begin making your preparations Avenger; I rather keep civilian casualties to a minimum and have them not affected by the Holy Grail War. So do what you must, I'll let Maiya handle you as need be."

Avenger had to refrain from snarling at the tone Emiya used. He addressed Avenger as though he was his own servant, and that Maiya would be nothing more than a liaison between him and Emiya. But sadly, he knew that his master was too attached to Emiya to do anything about it.

"Very well," Avenger said. "Although might I inquire about your servant?"

"Hmm, what about Saber?" Emiya asked.

"I wondered if I shall ever have to work with her; if so, I will need to at the very least know her so that I can adjust my plans accordingly," Avenger said. Emiya nodded.

"Right now Saber is protecting my wife before they come to the city, so it will be a few days before you can meet her," Emiya explained. "I won't order her to meet with you, so you'll have to approach her on your own accord."

"That works fine for me," Avenger said. "Then I shall take my leave." As he astralize, Avenger smirked; the first phase of his own plans was underway. He vowed to drive a wedge between his master and Emiya, as he refused to have his wish taken from him due to the ambitions of such a stoic and cold-hearted bastard.

* * *

 _Three Days Later_

* * *

It had been a long day for Saber, as her master's nature grinded on her own, and even the words of gentle Irisviel weren't enough to put the former King of Knights at ease. But they finally were in Fuyukki. Saber gazed around from atop the stairs that led down from the aircraft she had ridden in. It would've been a shock, if not for the information instilled into her by the Grail, which she had informed Irisviel of on the flight when the kind woman inquired about her thoughts on the flight.

To be sure, while she could've flown the aircraft with ease, that didn't mean Saber herself would've been above the capabilities of the best of flyers, just that she could easily have flown the thing. Indeed, she suspected that there were a few Riders who would've been truly awe-inspiring in their capabilities of flying. As she began to walk down the stairs, she saw Irisviel talking to an older looking man.

To anyone, this wouldn't have been a cause of concern, but Saber could feel his presence; he was a servant. Yet why wasn't he attacking Irisviel, and why wasn't Irisviel concerned?

"Ah, Saber, come over," the German born Magus said. Saber came over, wary of the old man. "Saber, meet Avenger, Maiya's servant."

Saber rose an eyebrow quickly before remembering the oddity that her master's protegee had summoned a servant. She extended her hand.

"Pleased to meet you Avenger," Saber said politely. Avenger returned the gesture and shook her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," Avenger said. "I have managed to arrange transportation for you two; Miss Irisviel, your belongings will be sent to the castle with your servants, I figure you would wish to explore the city today."

"Oh, that is kind of you," Irisviel said. "Although, shouldn't you be busy making preparations for whatever plans you have? Kiritisugu said something about-"

"Ah that, don't worry about it too much," Avenger said. "I have managed to get the support of the local Yakuza so that I can get information regarding the enemy master's locations, in addition to having an insider in the local news station to control the media in case an event was to spill over."

"That's impressive, to do that all in just three days," Irisviel said.

"This was just an exercise in charisma and really most people could secure what I did much faster if they waved cash around. But I wanted discretion, because there is only so much money one can use to bribe people with before someone notices."

"I see," Saber said. "So what was your…profession in life?" She was trying to determine Avenger's nature, as so far, her opinion wasn't great; he seemed to be the servant Kiritsugu would've wanted, one who didn't care about honor, if his attempts to manipulate people were anything to go by.

"Depends, I used to be a military commander, then I became my country's minister of defense, before becoming the CEO and founder of a massive industrial company," Avenger said. "It wasn't easy, transitioning between the roles, changing how I acted and how I interacted with people with each new profession, but one must do what they must to secure their vision."

"I won't deny the difficulties of leadership, but I feel like you are avoiding my question," Saber stated. Avenger shook his head.

"I have answered truthfully; however, it could be considered deceitful since I'm not speaking the whole truth. Then again, with my life, the whole truth was never an option to me. The best I could do most of the time was to assure other with half-truths, something I am sure you can understand."

Saber wanted to say no, but that would be hypocritical. She had lied about her gender, refrained from showing any true human emotions during her rule, which led to the distrust of her subjects and the eventual downfall of her kingdom. At the same time, she tried to be honest with her subjects, never outright lying or being deceitful towards them for her own benefit. She sighed as she had no answer. Thankfully, Irisviel turned the conversation to something that would be, she thought, less stressful.

"So, Saber, Avenger, what were your families like? I know a bit about yours Saber, but I would like to hear it from you directly. And while I don't know what yours were like, surely you must've had one."

Saber was about to speak when she heard Avenger speak.

"My family? Well, I was the son of a successful industrialist and the heiress of my homelands railway system," Avenger began. "My parents were kind yet…distant, I think that is the best way to put it. They were occupied with maintaining their wealth that I was just another thing to deal with. They both passed shortly after I entered the military. I didn't have anyone else until I met my wife."

Saber sensed something was about to happen. She had felt this, often before something broke and all hell was let loose. The so call calm before the storm, yet she felt like it wouldn't be a thundering storm, but a raging inferno.

"She was beautiful, charming, and brilliant. I met her when I stopped her from getting hit by a bus early on in my military career. She thanked me and we began a steady friendship, which eventually blossomed into a wonderful marriage. We even had a daughter, who was our pride and joy. She was named Vera, meaning 'light' in Be- in German. After the birth of our daughter, we decided it was best for me to retire from the military, but thankfully my considerable wealth and rank meant I was able to become the Minister of Defense."

"For a time, all seemed like it was going great, despite some setbacks. But then my country was stabbed in the back by our **neighbor**! My country and them formed a joint company under the notion that the venture would improve both nations' economies by gaining resources in a region call the Five Great lakes, but it was all a covert ploy by **them dastards** to tank our economy as the region held little to no resources! We had been building up our military due to the cold war between our neighbor and a nation across the ocean, but with the venture failing, we were hit with a depression."

"We looked into solutions to our economy, and soon were forced to give up our eastern territories, lands that we fought bitterly for in the past to gain. But that was all in those **bastard's** plans; those lands we surrendered ended up having the natural resources we could've used to help our economy!"

Arturia grimaced, knowing what was going to happen next. She'd seen similar things happen between other kingdoms during her time.

" **This slight, their masterstroke of a plan** , made those in power, myself included, to lead our nation into a fight that would decide the future of our nation! Upon revealing our neighbor's treachery, we had the volunteers to swell our military's ranks, our industries provided the top of the line weapons, and we had countless years of experience to formulate our plans."

Saber and Irisviel then saw Avenger's eyes darken.

"But it was for **fucking naught**! We were on the cusp of victory, we had achieved the majority of our goals, when our enemy, having rallied and having international support in war material and volunteers, began pushing us back. First we lost the land we sought to reconquer, then we began to lose fragments of our homeland. We tried everything we could to stave off the inevitable, but it seemed like no matter what our forces were getting pushed back."

To Saber, she could feel the air in the vehicle turn into a miasma of despair yet also build up with an untold wrathful energy, one that she could only remember seeing clearly once. Once upon a hill that marked the collapse of her kingdom, by the one of her own blood, all because she didn't crown them her heir. To Irisviel, she could feel the raw mana in the air pouring into Avenger, as though feeding into his emotions. To her, Avenger was analogous to a volcano, about to detonate with fury unmatched.

" **Our lands burned** , and my family were caught in the crossfire! My hometown, where my wife and daughter were living, **was burned to ashes from our enemies' actions**! I was in the capital and could do nothing as I received the report detailing the city's destruction!"

"From then on, _**I vowed to never forget, never forgive my enemy for their actions**_! We began moving forward with an operation designed to stall the enemy's invasion indefinitely. And it worked, but at immense cost. So much was lost in that operation, that our country was split in half, with those **bastards taking our southlands**!"

"It was at this time I left the government, due to my nation's enemies wanting to cut off my nation from effective leadership. I had to remake myself, for myself and my country, and I worked in secret to assure my nation's future."

Avenger looked out the window, sighing as he realized how tense the atmosphere had become inside the car. He pulled out a cigar and lit it up.

"Apologizes, I've gone on too long ranting, but needless to say, my motives should be apparent. I will assist you Saber against the other enemy servants but do understand that I have my own wishes to achieve, and technically you are in my way, if not right now."

Saber nodded, waving away a cloud of smoke from her face.

"I know, but I will not surrender the Holy Grail," Saber said, before gaining a pensive look on her face. "But answer my this, how far are you willing to go for your own goals?" She saw Avenger frown, still staring out of the window, gazing into the azure skies. She saw a pair of fighter jets (F-15s if the knowledge from the grail was to be believed), and she noted the look of…commiseration (?) on Avenger's face.

"I've lost so much, that nothing is off the tables for me," Avenger spoke after a moment a silence. "I will refrain from more collateral options, but hear this Saber; nothing will stop me, nothing will deny me my wish. Tod vor Unehre. I lost too much to come out of this war victorious."

Before Saber could respond, Avenger snubbed out his cigar, placing it back into the box he had before.

"Before you judge me for my words Saber, know that I wasn't always like this; I used to be kind and gentle, but my enemies eroded my nature, took from me the things I held above my own life, until what you see is what I've become."

Saber and Irisviel watched as the servant of vengeance disappeared into a golden mist.

"I've never seen anyone become so enraged," Irisviel commented. Saber shook her head at the isolated view that the homunculi had.

"I have."

* * *

Elsewhere in Fuyuuki, there was an old abandon airfield. It was built during the Second World War for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service to launch interceptors against US bombers firebombing cities like Tokyo. In the aftermath of the war however, it fell into disuse as its purpose was no longer needed and there was no need for it to serve in a civil capacity. However, its hangars, munitions bunkers, and control tower were still standing and intact, mainly because after being stripped, the post-war Japanese government saw no need to spend money on completely dismantling the airfield.

It had seen some use in the 1960s and 1970s to ferry illicit drugs into the country, but after the police raided the airfield once, it became abandoned once more. And it should've remained a ghost of the Second World War, had it not been for this Holy Grail War becoming twisted with the presence of Avenger.

Avenger appeared in the former control tower, which in his brief time had been converted to act as his GHQ. Inside were advance computer readouts that included RADAR, a live feed from the city's various security cameras that his agents (brought to the fore by his first noble phantasm) had hacked into, and radio interception equipment, so that Avenger could listen into emergency responders' radio chatter. In addition, there were armed soldiers loyal to his cause, equipped with G-36 assault rifles or MP-5 submachine guns.

He strolled over to a terminal, where one of his agents was working.

"Report," Avenger commented.

"Sir, we have managed to infiltrate the Japanese Military's Radar Network, allowing us to cover the movements of any flights you may wish to conduct," the agent replied. "In addition, we have begun our efforts to subvert control over the local police and first responders. It'll take a while, but hopefully we can manage to get you the necessary identification needed to pose as whoever you may need to be sir."

"Good, and what of our service personnel? What assets could I look to field?"

"Due to this country operating different equipment that what we generally use, and due to this country's maddening inability to declare war, the use of them is furthered hampered. However, our Air assets, due to our subversion of their RADAR network are able to conduct their missions at night, mainly because not too many civilians will be awake and able to notice them in the night sky."

Avenger nodded.

"Very good. Then I want a flight of UAVs to begin scanning the city, looking for the mana signatures of opposing Servants and Masters," Avenger commanded. "They are not to be armed at first, so send up the KZO to do the first flybys."

"Jawohl, mein kommadant," the solider replied.

Avenger turned his attention to the window, watching as a mobile launch vehicle rolled onto the tarmac. One side of the vehicle opened up, and the near silent whirling of a small two-stroke engine was all that was heard before a white stout aircraft took to the skies.

Avenger smirked as he had one advantage that he doubted any servant would be able to contest, not even Emiya's Saber servant; dominion of the azure skies.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : God damn, I took me over a year and a half to publish the next chapter. I hadn't expected to be so late, but that was because I wanted to make this chapter just so. And also, Ace Combat 7 came out not too long after I started this story. I went through numerous iterations, some that were really quite shit, others with clunky dialogue. I just hope that this chapter it enough to compensate for the long ass delay. And don't worry, the next chapter won't take so damn long. But let's get to your reviews;

- **Longbowchris50** : Alright, let me preface this with that your review had me change the exact nature of the anti-army NP, because your two examples gave me a reason to rethink my choice due to their nature. The SOLG and Arkbird are too powerful of a noble phantasm, as they allow for a attack that can't be blocked, can't be taken, hits practicality instantaneously, and can't be countered by most servants (Gilgamesh is the exception, but then again, being the oldest recorded hero of Earth's history lets him have a pass).

So, I decided to rethink the anti-army NP to fit his role a bit better. Avenger is not a straight up fighter; he is most akin to a puppet master, so he should have a NP that reflects this. Not immediately powerful, but after setting a situation up, he can unleash its full potential and it be pretty damn difficult for most servants to counter, but this time some of the more powerful servants actually can. And due to his nature of keeping to the shadows, and the need to keep the HGW a secret, its not like he can overtly use the more powerful aspects of it to his advantage.

His Anti-Nation class on the other hand, has not change. It is something that we never get to see its full potential used in the Strangereal universe, but after looking at its design, there is a very real counterpart in our world that I could use as a comparison. What it is, I shant say, as it would be too much of a spoiler for future events, but this chapter could be used to figure out what it is.

- **Slamer466** : Well, here's the next chapter, and yeah, Avenger is a member of the Grey Men, that much I will say as anyone who is interested in Ace Combat lore will pick up the not so subtle references in this chapter.

Alright guys, thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting the story, so I'll see you guys next time in the next chapter.


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